Friday, July 18, 2008

You say its my birthday?????








July 7th-

So..the other day, a couple days before my birthday, Austin and I were sitting in the family room watching television and he looks over at me and the conversation goes something like this:
A: "Mom are you nervous about turning 40?"
Me "Not really. Why?"
A:" I was just wondering if you were nervous about getting old?"
Me "Well, I hadn't really thought about it being old but thanks for making me think that way son."
A "You welcome. Love you"
and with that, he ran upstairs and started to play his XBox. But I just kind of laughed our conversation off. But then later that afternoon I got to thinking about some things. Not that I was getting "old" per se, but thinking that when I was Austin's age that people 40, 50, 60 WERE old (you know half way to dead ) and that I was invincible. But now that I have gotten closer to those ages, they don't seem that old AT ALL and even 60, 70 and 80 don't seem that old to me any more and really age isn't all that relavent it is really just a number. I guess it is really how a person sees their life and how they live it that counts more than the number of years that they live. I would much rather live a high quality/fewer number of years than poor quality/extended age years. That would just seem a miserable life to me. You know I have heard people say to me so many times...."Oh things fall apart after you turn 30...", "Oh, just wait til you turn 40...you think your health was bad at 30...girl!!!!!". I want to look at them and say, "You haven't lived until you started you downhill at the age of newborn....I can't imagine what my downhills are going to look like if I have to compare them to all the surgeries and downslides that I have already been through at the age of 39!!!!!" But like I said-I have decided that age is just a number and my life is being based on moments that are LIVED not years that are passed. I want to experience everything that I can in whatever time that I have with everyone that I have and try not to take them for granted. That doesn't mean that I won't-but I don't intend to. I want to love everyone each day as I haven't loved them before and show them how greatful that I am for the opportunity to have them in my life. Show my parents how greatful that I am for all that they did for me as a child growing up and for instilling in me all the discipline, morals and christian beliefs that I have as an adult today. Thank my sisters, all of them, for being the best friends-back then and still today-that a girl could EVER have. Thank my sons for showing me each day that God loved me enough to bless me with the hardest job in my life but the one that has the greatest rewards around. And for loving me unconditionally just because I am their mom but moreso because they love me and finally to my WONDERFUL husband Chad for being my very best friend, confidant and lifelong partner, for supporting me through some terrible times, some terrible health issues, some miserable personal issue and just loving me for me. I know we have a fairy tale and I can't wait to spend my happily ever after with him. So to all of my friends, family and everyone reading this...age is just a number. Birthdays will come and go regardless of how we feel about them. And so, embrace them. Love life and live each day to the fullest. Love your family and tell them so each day. Each day you wake is a gift from God so treat it as so....
"A life is not important except in the impact that it has on other's lives."

-Jackie Robinson
Love to you all and til next time

1 comment:

Jennifer said...

Hey Jo...
This is an awesome post. I hope your OTHER sisters actually read it. It's true, though... didn't 40 used to sound so OLD???

I love you... and your b-day card has made it to the office... so we are getting CLOSER to getting that in the mail. :)

I love you!